An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods & Madness
★★★★★
Author
Kay Redfield Jamison
Publisher
Knopf
Date
September 5, 1995
Genre
Memoir
Length
240 pages (print)
2 hrs 46 mins (audio)
Trigger Warnings
Bipolar Disorder, Mental Illness, Suicide, Self Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, Chronic Illness, Addiction
#Vibes
“Now I had no choice but to live in the broken world that my mind had forced upon me.”
”I had a horrible sense of loss for who I had been and where I had been.”
Scene
A memoir of moods and madness . . .
Is there anyone better to describe the literal highs and lows of bipolar disorder (then known as manic-depressive illness) than a psychologist who specializes in mental illness and also lives with it every day? An Unquiet Mind makes no effort to paint a pretty picture of psychosis. Jamison tells her tale with grit and gut-wrenching honesty.
For Your Consideration
Full disclosure: I, too, live with bipolar disorder.
For years, I’ve been told to read this book. I was worried it would be triggering — and it was, but it has also given me words to describe some of my own experiences. This memoir receives a lot of criticism for being dated (the terms for our illness have not been updated) and for perpetuating the public myths around mental health, but Jamison merely relays her experiences and how the individuals in her life responded to her disorder. Before her official diagnosis, Jamison chose a medical career in mental illness. She surrounded herself with other individuals who were also studying the mind and what can happen when it turns on us. This was a benefit for her that we are not all blessed to have. It also made talk therapy more accessible to her than the average person in the same era — or even today — and this is a critical component of a bipolar treatment plan.
I have stumbled my way through adulthood under physician care and medications, but only in the latter half of my forties have I been able to afford talk therapy. Unpacking thirty years of mental trauma is no fun task. Overall, I believe people like me should read this book at the right time for them. Ten or fifteen years ago, I would have been too jaded to find the truths within that I apply to my own life, treatment, and recovery. I will join the chorus of those who suggest it as recommended reading for those diagnosed with bipolar disorder — with the caveat to have self-awareness and know when the time is right.
“I lost a great innocence when I understood that I and my mind were not going to be on good terms for the rest of my life. I can’t tell you how tired I am of character-building experiences.”
Preview photo by Hailey Kean on Unsplash.